Student housing boom

The CBD is experiencing an unprecedented wave of student accommodation construction, with a number of purpose-built buildings either in the pipeline or near completion.

With most of the student accommodation concentrated in the north part of the CBD, this area is truly turning into a university precinct.

The most recently completed student apartment buildings are Scape Melbourne on Swanston St and Iglu at 229 Franklin St.

According to Urban Melbourne, there are still nine projects currently being constructed in or next to the CBD, which will add thousands more beds to the stock once completed.

Blue Sky Funds’ student accommodation building at 42-49 LaTrobe St is near completion, having reached its final height of 43 levels with 783 beds.

Next door to the CBD, works have started on Whitley College in Parkville and UniLodge at 15-27 Wrecklyn St.

Other developments in pipeline include Atira in A’Beckett St, Wee Hur’s tallest student accommodation tower at 183-189 A’Beckett St and 478-488 Elizabeth St, which are among the tallest towers in the CBD.

Scape has also received approval for its 870-bed student accommodation building at 557-591 Swanston St.

Melbourne University is also backing two towers at 625-631 Swanston St and 197-235 Bouverie St.